1988 Budweiser 400
{{Short description|12th race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Year=1988|Official_name=20th Annual Budweiser 400|Image=1988 Budweiser 400.jpeg|Caption=The 1988 Budweiser 400 program cover, featuring Terry Labonte.|Announcers=Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Network=ESPN|Pole_Driver=Ricky Rudd|First_Team=Blue Max Racing|Most_Team=Blue Max Racing|First_Driver=Rusty Wallace|Most_Driver=Rusty Wallace|Pole_Team=King Racing|Most_laps=45|Avg={{convert|88.341|mph|km/h}}|Date=June 12|Season_No=29|Location=Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California|Race_No=12|Car=27|Race_Name=Budweiser 400|Scheduled_mi=248.9|Course_km=4.216|Scheduled_km=400.565|Distance_km=400.565|Scheduled_laps=95|Distance_laps=95|Course_mi=2.62|Pole_Time=1:19.606|Distance_mi=248.9|Attendance=75,000}}
The 1988 Budweiser 400 was the 12th stock car race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the third race of the 1988 NASCAR Winston West Series, and the 20th and final iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 12, 1988, before an audience of 72,000 in Riverside, California, at the short layout of Riverside International Raceway, a {{convert|2.62|mi|km}} permanent road course layout at the track. The race took the scheduled 95 laps to complete. Following an initial scoring error, Blue Max Racing driver Rusty Wallace would manage to pull away on the final restart with five laps left in the race to take his fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first victory of the season.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=June 13, 1988 |title=Wallace Takes Riverside With Furious Finish (Part 1) |pages=45 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-wallace-takes-riv/127804676/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=June 13, 1988 |title=Wallace Takes Riverside With Furious Finish (Part 2) |pages=62 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-wallace-takes-riv/127804712/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Glick |first=Shav |date=June 13, 1988 |title=Wallace Wins One for Road (Part 1) |pages=33 |work=The Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-wallace-wins-one-f/127805363/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Glick |first=Shav |date=June 13, 1988 |title=Wallace Wins One for Road (Part 2) |pages=42 |work=The Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-wallace-wins-one-f/127805395/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, Junior Johnson & Associates driver Terry Labonte and King Racing driver Ricky Rudd would finish second and third, respectively.
The race was the final NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held at Riverside International Raceway before the track's closure in 1989.
Background
File:Riverside International Raceway 1980 and 1967.svg, the venue where the race was held.]]
Riverside International Raceway (sometimes known as Riverside, RIR, or Riverside Raceway) was a motorsports race track and road course established in the Edgemont area of Riverside County, California, just east of the city limits of Riverside and {{cvt|50|mi|km|abbr=on}} east of Los Angeles, in 1957. In 1984, the raceway became part of the newly incorporated city of Moreno Valley. Riverside was noted for its hot, dusty environment and for being somewhat of a complicated and dangerous track for drivers. It was also considered one of the finest tracks in the United States.
= Entry list =
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!# !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor |
| 1 |
| 2
|Ernie Irvan (R) |
| 3 |
| 03 |
| 4 |
| 04 |
| 5 |
| 6
|Ford |
| 7
|Ford |
| 8 |
| 08 |
| 9
|Ford |
| 10
|Ken Bouchard (R) |Ford |
| 11 |
| 12 |
| 14 |
| 15
|Ford |
| 16 |
| 17
|Tide |
| 18 |
| 19
|Ford |
| 20 |
| 21
|Ford |
| 22 |
| 25 |
| 26 |
| 27 |
| 28
|Ford |
| 29 |
| 30 |
| 31 |
| 32 |
| 33 |
| 41 |
| 43
|STP |
| 44 |
| 45 |
| 46 |
| 48 |
| 50 |
| 52 |
| 55 |
| 62 |
| 63 |
| 66 |
| 67 |
| 68
|Ford |
| 71 |
| 73 |
| 74 |
| 75 |
| 76 |
| 79
|Ford |
| 81 |
| 82 |
| 83 |
| 85
|Ford |
| 88 |
| 89 |
| 90
|Ford |
| 97 |
Qualifying
Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 10, at 4:30 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, June 11, at 12:30 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. For this specific race, positions 26-40 would be decided on time,{{Cite news |date=June 10, 1988 |title=NASCAR Today |pages=55 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-nascar-today/127806484/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} and depending on who needed it, a select amount of positions were given to cars who had not otherwise qualified but were high enough in owner's points; which was two for entries in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and two extra provisionals for the NASCAR Winston West Series.
Ricky Rudd, driving for King Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 1:19.606 and an average speed of {{Convert|118.484|mph|km/h}} in the first round.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=June 11, 1988 |title=Rudd Rolls To Pole (Part 1) |pages=29 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-rudd-rolls-to-pol/127806650/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=June 11, 1988 |title=Rudd Rolls To Pole (Part 2) |pages=31 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-rudd-rolls-to-pol/127806701/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
18 drivers would fail to qualify.
= Full qualifying results =
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|26 |1:19.606 |118.484 |
|---|
| 2
|27 |1:19.671 |118.387 |
| 3
|11 |1:19.730 |118.299 |
| 4
|75 |1:20.020 |117.871 |
| 5
|21 |Ford |1:20.377 |117.347 |
| 6
|3 |1:20.415 |117.292 |
| 7
|17 |1:20.522 |117.136 |
| 8
|9 |Ford |1:20.577 |117.056 |
| 9
|71 |1:20.700 |116.877 |
| 10
|44 |1:20.736 |116.825 |
| 11
|25 |1:20.755 |116.798 |
| 12
|33 |1:20.760 |116.790 |
| 13
|18 |1:20.794 |116.741 |
| 14
|5 |1:20.875 |116.624 |
| 15
|6 |Ford |1:20.932 |116.572 |
| 16
|19 |Ford |1:21.053 |116.373 |
| 17
|15 |Ford |1:21.124 |116.266 |
| 18
|83 |1:21.281 |116.042 |
| 19
|29 |1:21.306 |116.006 |
| 20
|7 |Ford |1:21.489 |115.746 |
| 21
|55 |1:21.538 |115.676 |
| 22
|8 |1:21.677 |115.479 |
| 23
|12 |1:21.681 |115.474 |
| 24
|76 |1:21.843 |115.245 |
| 25
|4 |1:21.883 |115.189 |
| colspan="7" |Failed to lock in Round 1 |
| 26
|79 |Ford |1:20.911 |116.572 |
| 27
|68 |1:21.127 |116.262 |
| 28
|31 |1:21.309 |116.001 |
| 29
|43 |1:21.343 |115.953 |
| 30
|90 |Ford |1:21.525 |115.694 |
| 31
|08 |1:21.733 |115.395 |
| 32
|63 |1:21.779 |115.335 |
| 33
|88 |1:21.903 |115.160 |
| 34
|28 |Ford |1:21.907 |115.155 |
| 35
|04 |1:22.234 |114.697 |
| 36
|62 |1:22.256 |114.666 |
| 37
|73 |1:22.267 |114.651 |
| 38
|66 |1:22.312 |114.588 |
| 39
|1 |1:22.465 |114.375 |
| 40
|30 |1:22.538 |114.274 |
| colspan="7" |Winston Cup provisionals |
| 41
|52 | -* | -* |
| 42
|2 |Ernie Irvan (R) | -* | -* |
| colspan="7" |Winston West provisional |
| 43
|32 | -* | -* |
| colspan="7" |Failed to qualify (results unknown) |
| 44
|03 | -* | -* |
| 45
|10 |Ken Bouchard (R) |Ford | -* | -* |
| 46
|14 | -* | -* |
| 47
|16 | -* | -* |
| 48
|20 | -* | -* |
| 49
|22 | -* | -* |
| 50
|41 | -* | -* |
| 51
|45 | -* | -* |
| 52
|46 | -* | -* |
| 53
|48 | -* | -* |
| 54
|50 | -* | -* |
| 55
|67 | -* | -* |
| 56
|74 | -* | -* |
| 57
|81 | -* | -* |
| 58
|82 | -* | -* |
| 59
|85 |Ford | -* | -* |
| 60
|89 | -* | -* |
| 61
|97 | -* | -* |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-budweiser-400/127719051/ Official first round qualifying results] |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-todays-lineup/127719168/ Official starting lineup] |
Race results
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Fin !St !# !Driver !Team !Make !Laps !Led !Status !Pts !Winnings |
| 1
|2 |27 |95 |43 |running |185 |$49,100 |
|---|
| 2
|3 |11 |95 |1 |running |175 |$26,175 |
| 3
|1 |26 |95 |30 |running |170 |$20,950 |
| 4
|6 |3 |95 |7 |running |165 |$18,600 |
| 5
|21 |55 |95 |0 |running |155 |$10,725 |
| 6
|29 |43 |95 |0 |running |150 |$10,850 |
| 7
|15 |6 |Ford |95 |0 |running |146 |$5,450 |
| 8
|19 |29 |95 |4 |running |147 |$5,000 |
| 9
|10 |44 |95 |0 |running |138 |$6,675 |
| 10
|4 |75 |95 |5 |running |139 |$12,925 |
| 11
|40 |30 |95 |0 |running |130 |$6,275 |
| 12
|37 |73 |95 |0 |running |127 |$4,450 |
| 13
|30 |90 |Ford |95 |0 |running |124 |$5,550 |
| 14
|5 |21 |Ford |95 |0 |running |121 |$9,650 |
| 15
|13 |18 |Rick Hendrick{{efn|Hendrick was relieved by Elliott Forbes-Robinson six laps into the race. However, since Hendrick started the race, he is credited with the 15th place finish.{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=Tom |date=June 13, 1988 |title= Lucky Break Leads Wallace To Victory |pages=62 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-lucky-break-leads/127805908/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}|name=alpha}} |94 |0 |running |118 |$2,550 |
| 16
|8 |9 |Ford |94 |0 |running |115 |$11,000 |
| 17
|27 |68 |94 |0 |running |112 |$5,075 |
| 18
|24 |76 |94 |1 |running |114 |$3,400 |
| 19
|33 |88 |94 |0 |running |106 |$4,800 |
| 20
|11 |25 |94 |0 |running |103 |$8,550 |
| 21
|9 |71 |94 |0 |running |100 |$4,600 |
| 22
|23 |12 |93 |0 |running |97 |$8,700 |
| 23
|16 |19 |Ford |93 |3 |running |99 |$3,875 |
| 24
|22 |8 |92 |0 |running |91 |$4,250 |
| 25
|38 |66 |92 |0 |running |88 |$1,600 |
| 26
|18 |83 |91 |0 |running |85 |$2,125 |
| 27
|26 |79 |Ford |85 |1 |running |87 |$2,575 |
| 28
|7 |17 |85 |0 |overheating |79 |$8,400 |
| 29
|28 |31 |84 |0 |running |76 |$2,000 |
| 30
|32 |63 |84 |0 |running |73 |$1,350 |
| 31
|42 |2 |Ernie Irvan (R) |78 |0 |oil pump |70 |$1,050 |
| 32
|34 |28 |Ford |74 |0 |running |67 |$10,675 |
| 33
|25 |4 |56 |0 |running |64 |$1,850 |
| 34
|14 |5 |52 |0 |piston |61 |$3,225 |
| 35
|36 |62 |52 |0 |ball joint |0 |$1,150 |
| 36
|35 |04 |51 |0 |rock stud |55 |$1,145 |
| 37
|31 |08 |46 |0 |engine |52 |$1,140 |
| 38
|20 |7 |Ford |39 |0 |oil pressure |49 |$3,135 |
| 39
|43 |32 |27 |0 |accident |46 |$3,380 |
| 40
|17 |15 |Ford |22 |0 |engine |43 |$9,700 |
| 41
|39 |1 |22 |0 |oil pressure |40 |$1,600 |
| 42
|12 |33 |10 |0 |engine |37 |$3,100 |
| 43
|41 |52 |5 |0 |engine |34 |$3,100 |
| colspan="11" |Failed to qualify |
| 44
! rowspan="18" | |03 ! colspan="5" rowspan="18" | |
| 45
|10 |Ken Bouchard (R) |Ford |
| 46
|14 |
| 47
|16 |
| 48
|20 |
| 49
|22 |
| 50
|41 |
| 51
|45 |
| 52
|46 |
| 53
|48 |
| 54
|50 |
| 55
|67 |
| 56
|74 |
| 57
|81 |
| 58
|82 |
| 59
|85 |Ford |
| 60
|89 |
| 61
|97 |
| colspan="11" |[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-sundays-results/127643964/ Official race results] |
Standings after the race
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
;Drivers' Championship standings
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| ! Pos
! Driver ! Points |
|---|
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,790 |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,786 (-4) |
| align="left"| 10px 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,702 (-88) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,686 (–104) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,677 (–113) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,608 (–182) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,531 (–259) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,478 (–312) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,474 (–316) |
| align="left"| 10px 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,469 (–321) |
| class="sortbottom"
!colspan="9"|[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-nascar-winston/127718841/ Official driver's standings] |
- Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
{{col-end}}
Notes
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{NASCAR next race|Previous_race=1988 Budweiser 500|Next_race=1988 Miller High Life 500|Monsteryear=1988|Series=NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}
{{1988 Winston Cup}}
{{NASCAR on ESPN}}
Category:NASCAR races at Riverside International Raceway